Externships????

I attended Western Culinary Institute in Portland, OR. A degree from that culinary school meant very little to the restaurants in the town of Portland, mostly because the school accepted anyone and everyone that applied. I knew I had to set myself apart, so I tried for an externship at the best restaurants in the country. I grew up outside of New York City, so that's where I started, knowing there are good restaurants there.

I found that getting an externship at a very high level restaurant was not that hard (my grades were good and I had a recommendation letter, which definitely helped) because all I did was send my information to The French Laundry in California, and they accepted me. Yes it's unpaid, and yes I am at the bottom of the totem pole, but I am learning so much about simply how to act when working in a great kitchen.

One of the hard things is getting a position at The French Laundry when my externship is over. If I did my externship at a lower caliber restaurant my chances of getting a job are lower, but just having The French Laundry on my resume cannot be a bad thing.

The final word is this: be careful, because traveling is not easy, especially the older you get, so don't forget about that.

I have been perusing the website and have found many interesting comments/recommendations.



I am about to head on to my 4th term of culinary school at the LCB in Sacramento, CA and I love every minute of it!



We are at the stage right now where we are feeling the pressure to find our externship location ~ needless to say, I am getting quite nervous.



I work 9-5:30 daily as a Claims Adjuster and go to school at night from 7-10:35, sometimes even 11pm. So, having free time to look up externship opportunities is not really an option right now...



But I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on getting an externship at The Food Network... high aspirations, I know, but any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif

Hello, I can't help you with an externship in Italy; however Student Chefs Abroad places culinary students in England's award winning restaurants. There are many advantages to doing your externship in England. Very importantly there is no language barrier! Do you speak Italian? There is nothing worse than working in the restaurant kitchen during a busy and stressful service and the Chefs call out to you in Italian and you can’t understand what they are asking you to do. Not speaking the language puts you at a disadvantage and makes it harder for you to learn. The participating restaurants that I work with specialize in “Modern British Cuisine” influenced by Mediterranean, French, Asian and Indian food and by celebrity chefs. Far from the stereotypes of the past, this cuisine emphasizes fresh, local ingredients and innovative, elegant presentation. Many of the restaurants raise their own chickens for eggs, have their own vegetable gardens, a few of them even have their own farms. The chefs rotate out into the farms. This is a great way to learn about ingredients starting with how they are grown to how they become used to make incredible dishes. The kitchens are smaller and you work side by side with some of the top chefs in England. What a fantastic way to learn and to be mentored! There are so many other advantages I would love to talk to you about.

emcclay said:

Hello, everyone! I attend Lincoln Culinary Institute in Hartford, CT. My externship will not start till the end of March 2013. It is far off. But, my list is already started. Trying to get accepted down south, preferably Florida. WDW is at the top of my list, with Four Seasons, Gaylord Palms, Ritz-Carlton, and Waldorf Astoria rounding out my "Top 5". If anyone has had experience with the last four programs, let me know!

Click to expand...

Try to get some work at Briccos. I just moved out of Hartford, and attended Lincoln (left after being told I didn't have time for cigarette with three hours for as many dishes and that if shellfish don't open simply crack them open and plate away). They won't pay you immediately, but if you go in and prove you can get things done you will have an amazing opportunity to learn. Grants is slower but hard to get a job in, and I never had any experience at trattoria. The guys at Bricco know how to get things done and will certainly teach you alot if things if you are willing to ask questions and listen to answers/criticism. Try to piggy back a few days of work with school, is tough on sleep but worth it. life is much different in the kitchen than at school, better to see the grind before making the commitment to move. I've seen many of people with diplomas walk in and fail, but dismiss criticism as if they learned it all already, when in the kitchen you are never done learning.

some things Lincoln just can't get you ready for, four hundred at Bricco will help fill those gaps. It would throw done extra money in your pockets and give you a great head start on the rest of the pack piling out of the printing presses.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

Currently, I have a student enrolled in my externship program to England from Lincoln Tech. He will be going to England mid July and staying for six months. I placed him in a two rosette starred restaurant. There are many advantages to doing your externship abroad in England. Very importantly there is no language barrier! The participating restaurants that I work with specialize in “Modern British Cuisine” influenced by Mediterranean, French, Asian and Indian food and by celebrity chefs. Modern British cuisine emphasizes fresh, local ingredients and innovative, elegant presentation. Many of the restaurants raise their own chickens for eggs, have their own vegetable gardens, a few of them even have their own farms. The kitchens are smaller and you work side by side with some of the top chefs in England. What a fantastic way to learn and to be mentored! There are so many other advantages. Having done an externship in an award winning restaurant in England will be invaluable on your resume. It will demonstrate that you are extremely motivated and serious about your career. You will stand out. Please contact me if you have any questions or anything that I can help you with. StudentChefsAbroad.com